The Fuel Film – justified arguments for biofuels

I’m actually kind of ashamed I let this one float around in my “to watch” list for so long. It was, in so many words, powerful.

The premise of this documentary is very simple: the world, as we know it, needs fuel sources to keep industries and economies going. However, the fuels we are using are toxic and irresponsibly gained. For over a century we have known of and used organic, renewable energy sources on smaller scales, so what’s been keeping us from developing renewable sources of biofuels to replace fossil fuel extraction and refinement?

Fuel serves as a personal journey of filmmaker Josh Tickell – an enthusiastic proponent of alternative energy sources – as he takes a slightly conspiratorial approach as to why the world isn’t currently running on biofuels, even though the dominant engine systems – diesels – are already designed to do so right out of the box.

Things he mentions that are worth seriously considering:

• The first diesel engine was developed so that farmers could produce their own fuels for them. Ideally – vegetable oil. The very first diesel engine is still around (in a museum) and still runs on biofuels. After inventor Rudolf Diesel died, Standard Oil developed a more crude fuel from petroleum that would run a diesel, called it “diesel fuel” and the rest is history. Just about every diesel engine on the road today can run on bio-diesel without any mechanical conversion.
•  The first cars Ford was producing on the production line were meant to run on ethanol (Ford was originally a farmer, so organic fuels made sense to him). Seemingly by coincidence prohibition happened right about this time in America. One of the more noted supporters of prohibition was Standard Oil’s JD Rockefeller. Prohibition wrapped up right about the time Ford gave up and started manufacturing gasoline engines.
• Not all biofuels are derived from food sources. The last blow delivered to the biofuels movement falsely claimed that biodiesel comes from corn and soy (which it can) which would cut into our food supply (most of that corn/soy goes to feed cattle in concentrated animal feed operations, which produces the meat that’s not terribly good for you to eat). The filmmaker goes on to show how a sustainable amount of biodiesel can be derived from algae – algae that can be grown from the waste streams we are already producing.
• - Every day we are spending millions to protect our oil interests in the Middle East. To establish a bio-diesel research and production plant here in the U.S. – it would cost about $25 million over ten years.

Without a doubt, fossil fuels are running out. We are coming up with more desperate and risky plans to keep the petrochemical fuel plants in operation. Let’s not forget the undeniable climate change that is happening as a result of the extraction and consumption of these fuels either.

I feel the best point this movie hits on is that there is no singular solution to current and future energy problems. Right now, fossil fuels are prime and wind, solar and wave power are being considered “alternative” energy sources. Even when (not if) the fossil fuels are abandoned these will still be considered alternative energy. Wind will be an alternative to solar when the sun isn’t shining. Biodeisel will fuel the power plants when the gusts are low. The survival of our society as we see it now wont be about a monopoly on one resource, but an interdependence on many.

The only problem I see with this is the completely lack of bio-diesel filling stations in Denver. I’ve written before about how I don’t see electric cars making as bit of a presence anytime soon because the infrastructure of charging stations and battery transfers just aren’t there and it doesn’t look like anyone is stepping up to fill that void. There are a few collectives of bio-fuel enthusiasts, but again, there doesn’t seem to be a heavily invested interest looking to fill that void.

Clearly, a mind-shift has to take place here. For most of us, all we have ever known is a fossil-fueled way of life. Only recently have we been turned on to the idea of locally based community, of cycling as a real means of transit, and not relying on the global market to meet our food needs. Can we lose our dependence on oil and toxic living? Absolutely. It’ll take great focus and a commitment by absolutely everyone to get us there.

I’m looking at the possibly of acquiring a diesel truck right now. What are you up to?